Bombay night frog facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bombay night frog
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Nyctibatrachidae
Genus:	Nyctibatrachus
Species:	N. humayuni
Binomial name
Nyctibatrachus humayuni Bhaduri & Kripalani, 1955
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The Bombay night frog (Nyctibatrachus humayuni) is a special type of frog that lives only in a specific area. It's also called Abdulali's wrinkled frog or Humayun's wrinkled frog. This frog is part of the Nyctibatrachidae family. It is found only in the Western Ghats mountains in the Maharashtra state of India. These frogs live near fast-flowing streams in warm, wet forests. Their homes are in danger because of things like trees being cut down and pollution. The frog was named after Humayun Abdulali, an Indian scientist.

What Does the Bombay Night Frog Look Like?

The Bombay night frog is a bit chubby. It has big eyes that look forward, with pupils shaped like thin lines. Its head is wide, and its nose is rounded. Its front legs are short and thick. The tips of its fingers are flat and have large, round pads. Its back legs are longer, and its toes also have disc-shaped pads. All its toes are fully webbed, which helps it swim.

This frog can grow to be about 48 mm (1.9 in) long. Its back is usually a mix of dark grey or brown colors. Its belly is a lighter grey. Sometimes, its legs have dark stripes. Male frogs have special orange glands on their thighs. Unlike many other frogs, the male Bombay night frog does not have a vocal sac, which means it doesn't make loud croaking sounds.

Where Does the Bombay Night Frog Live?

The Bombay night frog lives in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra state in India. It can also be found in Goa and Karnataka states. These frogs live at different heights, from about 200 to 1,200 m (660 to 3,940 ft) above sea level. Some of them live in protected areas like the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary.

They prefer to live in or near fast-moving, rocky mountain streams. They often hide under rocks and in small cracks. They like forests where thick plants hang over the water. Sometimes, they are found at the edges of forests, even a little away from streams. These frogs have even been found inside a large cave near Mahabaleshwar. In this cave, they share their home with another frog called Beddome's leaping frog (Indirana beddomii). A stream flows through the cave, and many fruit bats live there. The bats create a deep layer of droppings, which attracts many small creatures that the frogs like to eat.

Bombay Night Frog Reproduction and Life Cycle

Bombay night frogs breed during the monsoon season, which is from May to September. The male frog finds a spot, like a twig or leaf, hanging over a stream. He then calls out to attract a female. When a female arrives, she lays a small group of eggs exactly where the male was calling. After laying the eggs, she goes back into the stream.

The male then stands over the eggs and fertilizes them. After that, he moves a few centimeters away to a new spot where more eggs could be laid. He starts calling again to attract another female. This way, the male decides exactly where the eggs will be placed. This is very unusual! Most other frogs in the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) have the male hold onto the female while she lays eggs. But the Bombay night frog is different; they don't do this.

After 12 to 15 days, tiny tadpoles hatch from the jelly-covered eggs. They drop into the stream below and continue to grow there.

Why is the Bombay Night Frog Vulnerable?

Even though you can find many Bombay night frogs in some places, their total numbers are slowly going down. This frog is listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means it's at risk of becoming endangered. The areas where it lives are spread out and add up to a total area smaller than 20,000 km² (7,700 sq mi).

Their homes are being harmed by several things. These include trees being cut down (deforestation), farming activities, pollution, and people disturbing their natural environment. Protecting their forest and stream habitats is very important to help these unique frogs survive.